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The Decision Involves Agreement with Environmental Agencies, Defined Deadlines for Industrial Closure, and Direct Impact on Workers and Residents of South São Paulo, After Decades of Operation of a Historic Factory in Santo Amaro.
The Isover, a company of the Saint-Gobain Group, announced that it will cease industrial activities at its thermal and acoustic insulation materials factory in Santo Amaro, in South São Paulo, by July 31, 2026.
The timeline is outlined in a Terms of Conduct Adjustment (TAC) signed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of São Paulo and the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (CETESB), a document that establishes deadlines and conditions for the deactivation of the industrial plant.
According to the agreement, the production of glass wool will have to be halted by July 4, 2026, while the glass melting furnace will cease operations by the end of the same month.
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Upon completion of these stages, the location will cease to operate as an industrial unit and will operate exclusively as a distribution center for products manufactured at other company units.
The measure directly affects more than 100 workers with direct ties to the factory, as well as service providers associated with the operation.
In a statement to the press, Isover informed that the closure will occur gradually and within the deadline set in the TAC, pointing out that this interval was established to reduce impacts on employees, customers, and the supply chain.
Terms of Conduct Adjustment and Rules for Closure
Established in the neighborhood since 1951, the Santo Amaro unit has faced increased scrutiny in recent years, in a context of expanded residential occupancy in the surrounding area.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the TAC establishes a staggered schedule precisely to allow for monitoring of the stages of industrial disengagement and oversight of the environmental obligations assumed by the company.
Among the points outlined in the agreement is the definitive closure of production activities and the change in the operational profile of the unit, which will cease to perform industrial processes.
From this transition, the space will only serve logistical functions, with no operation of industrial equipment on-site.
Complaints from Residents and Environmental Records
Over the past few years, residents of the area have reported recurring episodes of intense odors, smoke emissions, and noise, with greater frequency, according to reports, during the early morning hours.
These complaints have been recorded in public hearings, community demonstrations, and petitions submitted to CETESB.
During discussions held in institutional settings, part of the population associated the episodes with respiratory discomfort, irritation of the eyes and skin, as well as the impact of continuous noise during the night.
The reports are included in records of hearings and documents submitted to environmental agencies, without disclosure, in public records available, of conclusive reports on individual causal links.
The mobilization gained momentum in March 2023, when residents filed a formal petition requesting measures to curb emissions attributed to the factory.
Following these manifestations, the Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated proceedings to investigate the situation and began monitoring the case in conjunction with CETESB.
CETESB Supervision and Public Hearings
Between 2024 and 2025, the subject was debated in public hearings and meetings that brought together representatives of the company, environmental agencies, and residents of the surrounding area.
On some of these occasions, CETESB reported the imposition of fines and warnings related to odors and noise levels deemed irregular.
During the discussions, residents reported continuous operation of the unit, including at night, as well as episodes of smoke release from the chimney.
The environmental authorities stated in these hearings that the complaints were being analyzed through inspections and administrative procedures.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office, for its part, stated that the TAC resulted from this monitoring and negotiation process, aimed at establishing a definitive solution for industrial activity at the site.
What Does Isover Say About the Closure
In a statement sent to the press, Isover confirmed the signing of the TAC and reiterated its intention to fully comply with the agreed-upon deadlines.
The company stated that it had operated on-site for more than 70 years and claimed that its activities sought to comply with current environmental legislation, in addition to maintaining dialogue with the surrounding community.
Regarding employment, the company informed that the gradual closure was defined to allow for internal reorganization and to reduce impacts on workers.
In public communications about the case, more than 100 direct employees linked to the unit were mentioned, in addition to indirect workers providing services related to the factory’s operation.
So far, the company has not detailed how it will manage any redistribution of activities or if there will be relocation of employees to other units.
Economic Impact and Relevance of the Multinational
Isover is part of a multinational group with over 9,000 employees, presence in 39 countries, and 60 factories distributed in 28 nations, according to institutional information from the company itself.
The brand’s products are used in sectors such as construction, automotive industry, agribusiness, and infrastructure, which expands the reach of the decision beyond the neighborhood where the factory is located.
With the cessation of production in Santo Amaro, the unit will begin receiving materials produced in other locations for distribution in the Brazilian market.
The change marks the end of a historic industrial operation in the southern zone of the capital of São Paulo and redefines the use of the space, now focused exclusively on logistics.
With the schedule monitored by oversight agencies, the closure will follow established dates, while expectations remain about how the transition will be managed until July 2026 and which impacts will still be felt by workers and residents of the surrounding area.
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. A Isover tem 9000 colaboradores no mundo todo e não no bairro de Santo Amaro, que tem 100 trabalhadores somente. Esse processo de desativação dessa fábrica é longo pois a fábrica tem um indice de poluição completamente inaceitável para os dias de hoje. Isso acontece com todas as fábricas no mundo todo. Como 100 funcionários diretos podem tornar-se 9.0000?????